Characterization of Fe-Cr-Al2O3 Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method with Varying Weight Percentage of Alumina

This study focused on fabricating and characterizing composites of iron-chromium alloy reinforced with 5–25 wt. % of alumina particles fabricated using powder metallurgy method. The diffraction patterns of X-Ray diffraction (XRD) reveal the influence of varying weight percentage of alumina. Comparisons on the mechanical properties are also being made on the unreinforced iron matrix (0 wt. %). The compatibility between matrix and reinforcement was indicated from the microstructure examination showing homogeneous distribution of alumina particles in the alloy matrix. Bulk density and porosity of the composites were calculated using standard Archimedean testing. Micro-hardness was measured using micro-Vickers hardness instrument. The data obtained showed that the 20 wt. % alumina produced the highest hardness reading.